Intro: A priest decides to paint his church one day. He goes out and buys some paint, comes back to the church, and then he realizes that he did not buy enough paint to do the job. So he just adds some water into the paint and mixes it in a larger bucket. Right before he starts to work, he looks at the church and decides he still doesn't have enough. So, he adds some more water and spends the whole day painting his church. That night, there's a huge rainstorm. When the priest wakes up, he finds that the rain has washed away all of his paint from the building. He looks up and prays, "Lord God, what should I do?" He hears a voice that says "REPAINT, AND THIN NO MORE!!!"

Life is full of victories. Some are easy to see. The strongest team gets the trophy. The prize is given to the fastest. The reward is earned by practice and preparation. There is exercise and rehearsals and run-throughs and it is obvious to everyone watching who is the best, the most excellent, the greatest and most deserving of the title of victory.

Then there are other victories that are not so obvious. These are the victories that take place within us. Internal victories. Like when you are about to get angry and “blow your top” but instead you calm down, settle back down and stay in control.

Or, there is a temptation. Maybe just a few seconds of pause, where you think about something just brief enough, for you to realize the terrible consequences and sinful outcome, so you choose to move beyond it and you overcome the temptation before you act upon it, before you need to ask for forgiveness and so you are victorious in your walk of faith with God.

Solomon in his wisdom saw how the world is twisted by sin and called life unfair. He said, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11 KJV

There are some battles that you are supposed to win because you are the odds on favorite. But out of nowhere comes a “Hail Mary” pass and a shot is made at the final buzzer, you lose, and the crowd goes wild.

There are some fights you are supposed to lose. You are so outnumbered. You are out gunned. You are the underdog. No one thinks you are going to win. Even your family members have that look on their face. (Yea…, you know…, the look.) The look that says, “just go out there and do your best.” Or your friends say “it’s not about who wins. (You only hear that when you are expected to lose.) “It’s not about who wins or who loses it is just about having fun.”

That can be true when it is just a game. What about when it is not just